Discoveries are made by questioning answers."
Bernhard Haisch, astrophysicist.
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| "Advances are made by answering
questions. Discoveries are made by questioning answers." Bernhard Haisch, astrophysicist. |
December 29, 2004
hina's People's Liberation Army today published a detailed description
of its defense policy. A good English translation is available on-line at China
People's Daily. It's an important document, but it's not likely to receive
the attention it should outside professional China watchers, which I'm not.
Nevertheless, I did browse through parts of it and found some contradictory
statements which are too important to pass over. In fact, I'd say they are
important enough that the Chinese leadership ought to resolve them because they
bear directly on the problem of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, an
issue which China has taken a special interest in.
[The relevant parts of the document are appended.]
The Contradiction
In section III. Strengthening the Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery Force, we find this definition of the mission of the Second Artillery force and what it is doing to accomplish it:
It is responsible for deterring the enemy from using nuclear weapons against China, and carrying out nuclear counter-attacks... By upgrading missiles, stepping up the R&D of missiles, ...and supporting equipment for command, communications and reconnaissance, the Second Artillery Force has built in its initial form a weaponry and equipment system that comprises both nuclear and conventional missiles.(emphasis mine)
This sounds like WMD to me. But there's no contradiction in that. It's more like the survival instinct. The Bush regime showed the world that not having WMD significantly lowers your chance of survival as an independent state. So where's the problem?
In Section X. Arms Control, Disarmament and Non- Proliferation, we find the following statement of policy
China attaches great importance to non-proliferation. It pursues a policy of not supporting, not encouraging and not assisting other countries to develop WMD. It resolutely opposes the proliferation of WMD and actively participates in the diplomatic efforts of the international community to deal with non-proliferation issues.(emphasis mine)
Now, taken together, what do these two statements say? They say, "I've got these ultimate terror weapons and I will use them to defend myself, but you can't have them." But it gets worse. China, in these two statements, says that it is a member of an exclusive club: the club of states possessing nuclear weapons and it wants no new members. The oldest member of this club, the one with the most, and the most deadly, nuclear weapons, and the only one ever to have used them, is the United States. The US has shown that it is not bound by international law or its obligation to resolve international disputes within the framework of the UN. It is in fact a renegade state ruled by war criminals no better than the Nazi leadership that was executed at Nuremberg.
For obvious reasons, the US is opposed to other countries, other than its most reliable allies, acquiring nuclear weapons.
Instead of working to contain the US' power of aggression, China's non-proliferation policy acts to perpetuate it.
And this brings us to the Korean peninsula. The Korean war ended a half century ago and yet there is still no peace treaty between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the US. Furthermore, the US deliberately fosters tension in its relations with the DPRK. These include inciting its closest allies to stop DPRK commercial vessels in international commerce, creating an army in South Korea, sabotaging attempts at reconciliation between the North and the South, conducting naval exercises of maneuvers designed to blockade the DPRK, conducting hundreds of spy flights per month over the territory of the DPRK, and waging continuous propaganda warfare against it. These are the usual precursors to war.
The rational response of the DPRK was to acquire nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them.
In this tense situation, China inserted itself as an "honest broker" in an attempt to facilitate an agreement between the DPRK and the US. As expected, the US' objective in these so-called "six-power talks" is to get the DPRK to agree to a "complete, verifiable, and irreversible" end to its nuclear weapons program.
And here's the rub. China's military policy statement says that it "resolutely opposes the proliferation of WMD." Thus, in the six-power talks, China, rather than being the "honest broker" it claims to be, is actually on the side of the US.
The Double Standard
In Section II. National Defense Policy, the document states,
China's basic goals and tasks in maintaining national security are:
- To stop separation and promote reunification, ...
It is the sacred responsibility of the Chinese armed forces to stop the "Taiwan independence" forces from splitting the country. The Chinese government continues to adhere to the basic principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" along with the eight-point proposal on developing cross-Straits relations and advancing the process of peaceful reunification of the motherland at the current stage. So long as the Taiwan authorities accept the one China principle and stop their separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence," cross-Straits talks can be held at any time on officially ending the state of hostility between the two sides, including on the establishment of a confidence-building mechanism in the military field. The Chinese people are resolutely opposed to all separatist activities in whatever manifestation aimed at "Taiwan independence," to foreign interference of any form, and to arms sales to Taiwan or entrance to military alliance of any form with Taiwan by any country in the world. We will never allow anyone to split Taiwan from China through whatever means. Should the Taiwan authorities go so far as to make a reckless attempt that constitutes a major incident of "Taiwan independence," the Chinese people and armed forces will resolutely and thoroughly crush it at any cost.
The question for China is: Why do these principles not apply to the reunification of the Korean peninsula? Why is overcoming the splitting of the Korean peninsula and achieving "one country two systems" any less sacred than overcoming Taiwan independence and achieving "one country two systems?"
China needs to clarify its position.
OTTO
China's National Defense in 2004
III. Revolution in Military Affairs with Chinese Characteristics
Strengthening the Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery Force
The PLA [Peoples Liberation Army] Second Artillery Force is a major strategic force for protecting China's security. It is responsible for deterring the enemy from using nuclear weapons against China, and carrying out nuclear counter-attacks and precision strikes with conventional missiles. By upgrading missiles, stepping up the R&D of missiles, and promoting the informationalization of missiles and supporting equipment for command, communications and reconnaissance, the Second Artillery Force has built in its initial form a weaponry and equipment system that comprises both nuclear and conventional missiles, covers different ranges, and possesses markedly increased power and efficiency.
X. Arms Control, Disarmament and Non- Proliferation
Committed to the Non-Proliferation Efforts
The proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery is detrimental to world peace and security, so is it to China's own security. Non-proliferation is in the common interest of all countries, including China, and it has become an international consensus.
China attaches great importance to non-proliferation. It pursues a policy of not supporting, not encouraging and not assisting other countries to develop WMD. It resolutely opposes the proliferation of WMD and actively participates in the diplomatic efforts of the international community to deal with non-proliferation issues.
II. National Defense Policy
China's basic goals and tasks in maintaining national security are:
It is the sacred responsibility of the Chinese armed forces to stop the "Taiwan independence" forces from splitting the country. The Chinese government continues to adhere to the basic principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" along with the eight-point proposal on developing cross-Straits relations and advancing the process of peaceful reunification of the motherland at the current stage. So long as the Taiwan authorities accept the one China principle and stop their separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence," cross-Straits talks can be held at any time on officially ending the state of hostility between the two sides, including on the establishment of a confidence-building mechanism in the military field. The Chinese people are resolutely opposed to all separatist activities in whatever manifestation aimed at "Taiwan independence," to foreign interference of any form, and to arms sales to Taiwan or entrance to military alliance of any form with Taiwan by any country in the world. We will never allow anyone to split Taiwan from China through whatever means. Should the Taiwan authorities go so far as to make a reckless attempt that constitutes a major incident of "Taiwan independence," the Chinese people and armed forces will resolutely and thoroughly crush it at any cost.